Mickey Paea admits he thought he’d never return to Hull FC but now he has, he’s more excited than ever to be living and working in a city where he has created so many memories.

The Australian-born former Tonga international knows a thing or two about this city having previously spent four years evenly shared between playing for Hull KR and then FC.

When Paea left for the NRL and Newcastle Knights ahead of 2016, he wasn’t supposed to come back.

But the powerful prop never really fitted into the plans at a Newcastle side in the midst of an ongoing transition on and off the field.

And despite initial hesitations at the idea of moving halfway around the world for the second time in his life with his family in tow, eventually the lure of coming back to an environment where he feels so comfortable was too much to turn down.

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“Me and my wife spent four great years here and met some good people,” Paea told the Mail. “When we left we never thought we’d see some people again but to have that opportunity to play for this club another time was a no-brainer in the end.

“When the idea was first tossed up it was something I wasn’t completely sure about. It’s not a decision you take lightly and you want to make sure you’re in the right head space.

“But I wasn’t enjoying my footy at the Knights and coming to this place in particular was massive. I have a familiarity with the players and the staff and I love the club and the people here.”

Simply put, it just didn’t work out for Paea at Newcastle. A former top metre maker at both FC and the Robins, he played 15 times in the NRL during the 2016 campaign but injuries and a decision by the Knights to look to the future restricted him to just five appearances this year.

Paea will turn 32 next March but don’t think for a second that he’s washed up. He’s determined to get back to his best and knows being at Hull is the ideal tonic.

“It was definitely a tough two years at the Knights and I wasn’t involved a lot this year,” Paea continued.

“I was sort of told I wasn’t going to be required for 2017 so that was quite tough. I didn’t really feel part of the plans. I found some enjoyment towards the back end.

“I’m glad to be here now and I don’t take the opportunity lightly. This is a place where you can rip in and get down to work but also enjoy some good company. I’ve missed that these last two years. I feel like I can settle in and get back to playing some of my best rugby.”

LOVING IT: Mickey Paea back at Hull FC.

Paea helped build some of the foundations for success in the last two years at Hull despite departing for the NRL before the Black and Whites ended their trophy drought with back to back Challenge Cups.

The 31-year-old admits, though, not being part of those successes left him with a bittersweet feeling he would like to erase by finishing off some important business in 2018.

“I was part of those first two years of Lee Radford’s coaching reign and there were some tough moments,” Paea added. “They have gone on to win two Challenge Cups now and solidified themselves as a genuine top-four team.

“To miss that was bittersweet. I still felt part of it in some way but I feel like there is still unfinished business here for me now and I can’t wait to have another go.”